Devious Political Tactics: More from the Field Manual

Careful observation of workplace politics reveals an assortment of devious tactics that the ruthless use to gain advantage. Here are some of their techniques, with suggestions for effective responses.

Allied leaders pose in the courtyard of Livadia Palace, Yalta, during the Yalta Conference, February 1945. (I haven't been able to determine the precise date of this photograph, but the conference was held February 4-11, 1945.) View a larger image. Those seated are (from left to right): Prime Minister Winston Churchill (UK), President Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA), and Premier Josef Stalin (USSR). Stalin had long nurtured a desire to be the first to seize Berlin as retribution for the perfidy Hitler displayed in breaching their non-aggression pact. But Stalin's allies — and most particularly, their generals — harbored similar desires, albeit for different reasons. There were conversations at Yalta regarding the assault of Berlin, but Stalin did not reveal the intensity of his motivation. On March 7, just about four weeks after the conference, Stalin assured Eisenhower that Berlin had lost its strategic importance. At the same time, he ordered the Berlin assault preparations accelerated. The final assault on Berlin began on April 15 with a million-shell artillery barrage.

Stalin was here using deception, analogous to the "IED" technique described here, to prevent competition from his allies for the prize of Berlin. Photo #USA C-543 from the Army Signal Corps Collection in the U.S. National Archives, available from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command.

We need not be placid victims of devious political operators at work. And we need not respond in kind. We can often disable their tactics before they harm anyone.

Here's another installment of devious political tactics, with suggestions for ethical, effective responses.

The Dunning-Kruger defense

The operator who's aware of the Dunning-Kruger Effect can deliver important and perfectly sound information in a halting, circumspect manner. By arousing in the recipient doubt about the validity of the information, the operator limits the likelihood of the recipient acting on it, while simultaneously providing evidence that the information was indeed delivered. If the recipient later charges that the operator failed to deliver the information, or conveyed a false impression, the operator can claim that the information was delivered with the care it deserved. Some operators actually transfer responsibility to the recipient by suggesting that the recipient learn about the Dunning-Kruger effect, to prevent future errors.

Learn about the Dunning-Kruger effect. When you suspect this tactic, ask the operator directly, "What's your level of confidence in this information?"

Improvised explosive devices

In asymmetric warfare, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are usually buried under roadways or hidden in street litter. Similarly, in politics, assets intended to harm targets must sometimes be concealed to be effective. For instance, the operator might conceal knowledge that a critical component supplier is about to enter bankruptcy. Or the operator might display or profess indifference toward a prize to convince the target that the prize is unimportant, and to conceal the operator's own plans to seize the prize. With IEDs, the goal is to induce targets to drop their guard, to give the operator a free hand for a time.

When you notice that someone known for ruthlessness displays a puzzling indifference to an asset, search for IEDs.

Exploiting the Zebra Effect

The Zebra Effect arises When you notice that someone known for ruthlessness displays a puzzling indifference to an asset, search for IEDswhen we have so many items to track that their sheer number reduces our ability to address them. Operators intent on demonstrating their target's incompetence can exploit the Zebra Effect by first deluging the target with irrelevant, distracting demands, and finally assigning something really important with a tight deadline. The target, overwhelmed, might not notice the important task, but even if that task is noticed, the target's attention is already saturated. The substandard performance that follows is a result of the operator's actions, rather than the target's, but the operator can usually contend that the target is incompetent.

When you receive assignments, the first step is determining their priority. If you have any doubt about priority, ask the operator directly for guidance.

When someone else is targeted unjustly, beware. If the target is your boss, prepare to move on. If the target is your subordinate, intervene. If the target is a peer, and you can't intervene, prepare — you might be next. TopNext Issue

Is every other day a tense, anxious, angry misery as you watch people around you, who couldn't even think their way through a game of Jacks, win at workplace politics and steal the credit and glory for just about everyone's best work including yours? Read 303 Secrets of Workplace Politics, filled with tips and techniques for succeeding in workplace politics. More info

The expression "the elephant in the room" describes the thought that most of us are thinking,
and none of us dare discuss. Usually, we believe that in avoidance lies personal safety. But free-ranging
elephants present intolerable risks to both the organization and its people.

Most job descriptions contain few references to political effectiveness, beyond the fairly standard
collaborate-to-achieve-results kinds of requirements. But because true achievement often requires political
sophistication, understanding the political content of our jobs is important.

Forthcoming issues of Point Lookout

Coming March 21: Narcissistic Behavior at Work: III

People who behave narcissistically tend to regard themselves as special. They systematically place their own interests and welfare ahead of anyone or anything else. In this part of the series we consider how this claimed specialness affects the organization and its people. Available here and by RSS on March 21.

And on March 28: Narcissistic Behavior at Work: IV

Narcissistic behavior at work is more damaging than rudeness or egotism. It leads to faulty decisions that compromise organizational missions. In this part of the series we examine the effects of constant demands for attention and admiration. Available here and by RSS on March 28.

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Public seminars

The Power Affect: How We Express Our Personal Power

Many people who possess real organizational power have a characteristic
demeanor. It's the way they project their presence. I call this the power affect. Some people —
call them power pretenders — adopt the power affect well before they attain significant organizational
power. Unfortunately for their colleagues, and for their organizations, power pretenders can attain
organizational power out of proportion to their merit or abilities. Understanding the power affect is
therefore important for anyone who aims to attain power, or anyone who works with power pretenders.
Read more about this program.

My blog, Technical Debt for Policymakers, offers
resources, insights, and conversations of interest to policymakers who are concerned with managing
technical debt within their organizations. Get the millstone of technical debt off the neck of your
organization!

Is every other day a tense, anxious, angry misery as you watch people around you, who couldn't even
think their way through a game of Jacks, win at workplace politics and steal the credit and glory
for just about everyone's best work including yours? Read 303 Secrets of Workplace Politics!

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